


Perks of Meeting You

by itwasprongs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1980s, AU, F/M, London, Muggle AU, jily
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 15:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2656553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itwasprongs/pseuds/itwasprongs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Falling into people's laps isn't a habit, but if it leads to meeting fit young boys, Lily thinks it'd be a wonderful habit to have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perks of Meeting You

**Author's Note:**

> "accidentally fell in your lap while standing on this crowded bus" au
> 
> based on my altered version of the prompt, this is an unedited au which i wrote instead of finishing my art project. there will eventually be a finished piece of work with multiple chapters.

Why Mary had decided it was a good idea to meet at Oxford Circus was beyond Lily. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t have just met at Camden Town - where they were going. And the London Underground was always packed, whatever station, but Oxford Circus was definitely the busiest. They’d just stopped at St Paul’s and although that meant only three more stops, even more people had boarded than at Bank. Lily didn’t think there’d be enough oxygen left in the carriage if any more people got on. 

At least if more people got on, they might block her chest from the view of several leering men. Lily wanted to zip up her leather jacket but she couldn’t even move her hand to adjust her headphones, let alone pull the zipper up to her neck.

The train slid to a halt at Chancery Lane and there was a surge of movement as people tried to step off the train and get on it at the same time. Lily clung on to the hoop above her head as she was pushed around and swore when someone wearing Docs trod heavily on her foot. Next time she met up with her best friend to go shopping, they were going to get a taxi. And Mary could pay for it.

Finally everyone had jostled each other around enough to find room and the doors closed. She stumbled as the train lurched forwards and felt a hand squeeze her bum. Immediately she lifted her foot up and stamped it down and the hand left her bum. The redhead couldn’t turn around to see who it’d been but it was such a normal occurrence on the underground, she wasn’t even too bothered.

When they stopped at Holborn however, Lily managed to maneuver herself away from where she’d been before and closer to the seats. It was only when the train pulled sharply out of the station that she realised that there were no hoops for her to hold on to and she stumbled, falling backwards as the train sped up and landing directly on someone’s lap.  
"Shit!" Her head banged against someone’s and she felt two large hands grab her waist. "I’m so sorry!" Her head phones had slipped from her ears and she raised her voice over The Times blaring from them. 

"It’s fine, don’t worry about it." She’d definitely landed on a guy. His voice sounded kind of strained and Lily winced, guessing which part of his anatomy she’d just dropped on to. She looked over her shoulder and smiled apologetically. The guy had messy black hair and wore glasses and there was a red mark on his forehead from where she’d knocked in to him. He was cute. And still had his hands on her waist.

"I’ll get up now."

"Sure." Knowing her face was probably a bright red, Lily turned and tried to stand up. But as soon as she’d fallen, everyone had shifted to fill the gap she’d left and there was no space to place her feet.

"Um… I can’t stand up." No one was going to move to let her up; already one businesswoman holding a briefcase had given her a dirty look, informing her that if she tried to stand her black heels would soon be aimed at Lily’s feet.

"Oh." The guy’s mouth was right by her ear and Lily shivered at the warmth breath on her neck. "Well I guess you can just stay here then. Where are you getting off?"

"Circus." Lily turned her head so she could see him better and wondered if the colour of her cheeks matched her hair yet.

"Same. I guess sitting is easier than you standing anyway." He smiled and Lily managed a nod. Then she turned back around and tried to find something to look at that wasn’t a crotch. The guy shifted slightly and Lily felt her bum supported by two thighs. His hands held firmly onto her waist as the train rocked and she tried not to think of how comfortable she was.

"Could you, um, maybe…" she pointed at her neck and a second later she felt a hand unhooking her headphones. "Thanks." He handed them to her and she wrapped the wire around them, switching off her Discman as she shoved the headphones into her bag.

"Nice music." 

"Thanks." Lily was trying not to pay attention to how bloody awkward the situation was but she couldn’t. He was trying to make conversation. Chatting on the London Underground to a complete stranger was not something anyone who knew anything about London did. Maybe he was foreign. Except he sounded more Northern than French. 

"I’m James by the way." He was speaking to her back and Lily screwed her face up for a second before replying.

"Lily, nice to meet you." 

"And you. Can’t say I’ve ever met anyone like this before." It wasn’t a Northern accent. It was the same accent all the public school boys had had when she was growing up in Cokeworth. Lily decided it must be his first time on the Underground. She hadn’t looked at what he was wearing but she guessed it was some sort of poncy blazer or a waistcoat. Maybe even both.

"Falling into people’s lap isn’t a habit." She answered and James laughed. Before they could say anything else though the train was stopping at Tottenham and several more people crammed themselves into the carriage. Lily was pushed back and she felt her back hit his chest as she pulled her feet up off the floor and onto his knees so they weren’t crushed. "Sorry, sorry, I can’t put them down."

"It’s fine, it’s not like these are my Sunday best." It was impossible to know if it was a joke or not but Lily laughed anyway, grateful he didn’t put up a fuss. She rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around them. James’ hands were secure on her waist and when the train jumbled everyone around as it suddenly slowed, he slid one arm tightly around her. "Don’t want you falling again." He explained and his tone was wary, worried she might object. His arm was firm though and there was nothing invasive about the way it held her safely to him.

"That wouldn’t help the situation." Lily smiled.

"I think it’d rather serve to aggravate it, don’t you?" 

"Rather, yes." Without realising it she’d imitated him and Lily blushed furiously, hoping he didn’t think she was making fun of him and decide to let her fall into the mass of bodies after all. If he noticed the slight accent she put on though, he didn’t say anything.

"So why are you in London?"

"Visiting a friend. You?" She found that she didn’t really mind talking to him and his voice helped to distract from the fact that she was eye level with several crotches, despite her efforts to make sure she was looking else where.

"Been to see my parents for the weekend, now I’m going back home." That meant it couldn’t be his first time on the Underground and Lily wondered if he was just one of those weird people you got on the country trains who spoke to anyone. 

"You travel light." Lily noted, sure that if he had a backpack with him he’d have been unable to sit down.

"I’ve got clothes there so I don’t need to take anything with me."

"What about something for the journey?" 

"Well generally I talk to people." James poked her belly with a finger as she scoffed. "It’s not that bad actually. You seem alright."

"I could be a rapist."

"So could I and yet you’re sitting in my lap." 

"Not by choice, I assure you." She said, subconsciously smiling.

"I hope you know that I take your words to heart."

"I’m sure you do." Lily shook her head and then realised the train was slowing. Through the smudged window she saw the tiled sign for Piccadilly Circus and she smiled in relief. _Finally._

"Looks like we’re here."

"It does." The train stopped and Lily forced herself upwards, pushing her way into the stream of people leaving the train. Behind her James did the same thing, making sure he could see her in front of him.

On the platform Lily hesitated for a second, wondering if she should look for the man but there were too many people so she just plowed on towards the stairs. She kept a tight grip on her bag, knowing all to well how good the pickpockets in London were. She used her elbows to make her way to the stairs and she jogged up then, refusing to let herself be over taken by businessmen thirty years her seniors.

Three minutes later and she was standing on the road, sheltered in a closed shop’s doorway, waiting for Mary. They’d agreed to meet at the cafe opposite but Lily didn’t want to be jostled any more than she had to be so she stood on her tiptoes and looked for her friend. It wasn’t until he was standing right in front of her that she noticed the guy from the train - James.

"Oh, hi." She settled back on her feet and realised she had to tilt her chin to look at him. He was at least six feet tall and even more attractive than she’d noticed. And he looked like a public school boy as much as Margaret Thatcher looked like Gary Glitter. He wore a red checked shirt over a Pink Floyd tour shirt and his jeans were ripped - and covered in random splashes of paint. 

"Hi." James stepped awkwardly into the doorway so he was next to her and ran a hand through his hair. She was pretty, undeniably so, and looked like she was his age. He wasn’t about to lose her without even asking for a phone number. "Look, I know we only just met but you literally fell right into my lap," she looked kind of unsure and her fingers were knotting themselves in the frayed hem of her crop top, "and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet up some time."

Lily knew she should say no. Her mum would be spinning in her grave if she knew Lily went around accepting offers of meeting up with strangers. But, if she was honest with herself, Lily knew her mum was probably already spinning in her grave; Lily had done a lot worse than say yes to a cute boy before.

"Okay." He looked ecstatic. They had just met and he looked over the moon that she’d agreed to it. "Here." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she pulled a pen from her bag and grabbed his arm. Holding his wrist to keep it steady, she wrote down the number for her flat. "I live with three friends. If a guy picks up that’s Fabian or Gideon. If a girl picks up, and it’s not me, that’s Marlene and you should hang up unless you want to be interrogated." James nodded and took the pen from her before she could put it away.

"This is my number." She bit her lip as he started writing across her knuckles. "If anyone called Remus, Sirius or Peter answers you should hang up because all of them are wankers. I mean, they’re my best mates, but they’re a right group of tits." He handed her the pen back and she dropped it into her bag.

"Well then… I guess I’ll see you soon." Lily smiled and James ran a hand through his hair before nodding.

"Maybe next time you won’t sit on me."

"The time after that though… maybe I will sit on you. Just without all the clothes." Lily winked and stepped into the crowd, looking over her shoulder and grinning as she saw his mouth hanging open.


End file.
